Consultez les articles du Bulletin Aves !

Aves, 53/4 | 2016 | 193-205

The population status of Bluethroat Luscinia svecica cyanecula in the arable plains of Tournai
Jérémy Simar

French article available for download in 2018

Article summary

The Bluethroat Luscinia svecica cyanecula has long been considered as strictly confined to the wetlands of Wallonia. Since the 1990s the species has started colonizing the ditches of some large intensive arable areas in the Western Hainaut and, in particular, the region of Tournai.The Regional Atlas of Breeding Birds 2001-2007 showed that in a decade the Bluethroat has adapted locally to its new habitat and that local numbers were increasing significantly. In 2014 a follow-up inquiry in Tournai confirmed this trend; since the last Atlas, numbers in the study area have tripled. Individual and more localized studies in 2015 and 2016 have shown that the population density of nesting birds in some places may equal that found in wetland areas. These studies also confirm that agricultural ditches are the preferred nest area for this species, rather than neighbouring areas of agricultural land. This contrasts with observations in other countries, where areas of rape-seed are often cited as the key element for the breeding of this species in arable areas.